The Protest is a great ski, put about 40 days on mine at Alta/Bird last winter. The design needs to be updated though, in my opinion. The tip shape could be revised to maintain it's pivot-y nature while also being surfier.

With it's current shaping it's a ski that rewards a centered, neutral stance over a more forward, conventional stance unless you're mounting 2+ CM back of the dimple. The ski floats very well and is stable in deep snow, but the tip doesn't plane out as well as some other skis out there. Really depends on the kind of powder ride you're looking for.

Nothing else in skiing has ever made such an impression on me (I haven't skied the Powder Boards in bottomless fluff). And as a bonus, they're very, very versatile. They're not just 'the right tool for the job', they make you smile, change up a gear, do something different, be creative.

They are absolutely incredible in powder, with no speed limit and no hooking tendencies. No tip dive goes without saying. A playful charger, I'd say, as it never locks you into a certain turn. It can rail through crud and chop, then be easily feathered through a big slide.

We just came back from the NZ clubfields and very testing conditions: 1ft of light pow, well tracked, then a big melt/freeze = smooth cream cheese mixed with big blocks of HARD snow etc. Protests were perfect for it; they may have gotten bucked around, but never seriously deflected.

Re Glademaster's comments, I'm no ski designer, but I'd mess very little with the Protest. Possibly a very slight narrowing of the tips (a'la Wootest 2.0), but then I've never experienced any hooking. I find the rocker very smooth and gradual, if quite substantial, meaning they plane up at low speeds and never dive, yet don't get squirrely when you let them run.

I bought my 196s as a big day ski. I figured I would ski then once or twice a season, when there is 2 feet of fresh and the top is open, or, if I ever get that opportunity to climb in a heli. I thought the skis would be too much to handle if there was less than a foot of snow. I thought they would be too long for lower mountain trees on storm days. I thought I would have to go to the car at lunch to trade out planks due to skied out conditions.

I love my 196 Protests in anything 3D. In 3D snow, I can ski them more centered and they will take a touch of forward stance too. Point and go. Look for that line that you would normally slash two or three turns and make it into one. So awesome.

But if it gets hard or smooth, I prefer I more forward stance and the Protest does not. They will set a spectacular edge, but seems to take a bit more work to get back to the lift. Too much work to call fun, not a pain in the ass, I'd call them manageable. Preference issue more than anything.

I've got two years on the 196, and two days on the 187. With the 187 so far I've slayed a super technical, super manky soft snow descent under a notoriously ugly gondola. Then I took them into my north facing sugar stash where the snow was much lighter and drier, and found myself wheeling out a little bit…probably 'just me' not being used to the shorter length.

That said, I'm in the back left row of the choir, the tall one in the middle, singing about the greatest lines of my life on the 196.

I'm loving my 177s which I've had 20-30 days on this season. Although I often wish I had the 187s for open terrain the 177s absolutely crush trees and tight places. I feel like I can go balls out with reckless abandon through the tightest chokes knowing I can immediately throw them sideways to shut em down.

I'm 5'8 140 and was on the fence about length because I knew I'd be touring on them. Guess I'll just have to get the 187s so I can put my indecisiveness to rest.

Basically summarizes my experience thus far. I mounted the 196 med-stiff carbon at 105cm from the tip with sollyfits and I've only used them with STH16 (haven't had the right day/trip to throw the dynafits on there). Centered in soft snow is pretty amazing...centered on hard pack, they work, but they feel pretty dead and it feels like they need more input. So transition to a forward stance and it gets worse. A forward stance on hard pack is like trying to penetrate a dehydrated asshole. They just won't cooperate. Not as bad as the wootest 1.0, but definitely not fun. Anything up to 12", I'm on my gambits. Over 12", the protest is dope. They should get some use this week.

Originally Posted by HighWest

I love my 196 Protests in anything 3D. In 3D snow, I can ski them more centered and they will take a touch of forward stance too. Point and go. Look for that line that you would normally slash two or three turns and make it into one. So awesome.

But if it gets hard or smooth, I prefer I more forward stance and the Protest does not. They will set a spectacular edge, but seems to take a bit more work to get back to the lift. Too much work to call fun, not a pain in the ass, I'd call them manageable. Preference issue more than anything.

They rock in anything soft which is a given. Responding simply because I'm a little perplexed by some comments above about performance on firm. Makes me think it is a mount placement and/or edge tune issue.

I am on 188 red camo protests mounted ~2.5cm back and have absolutely no issues carving high speed turns on anything but blue ice. Light/medium forward pressure against tongue of boot and there is just enough straight edge to set and carve a turn. Can weight back slightly and ski more centered stance and easily pivot/release them. They transition predictably through pretty much any turn shape and feel solid and perfect. Have not been on 196, but think I could easily love a pair of last generation 196cm protests. Have not been on current gen.

Impressive ski. 98% of a 138 for me in deep snow. And easy to get around on packed/groomed snow. As in way, way easier to ski going to and fro. Hard to notice you have a fat rockered board on hard pack. Nothing like the 138s getting back to a lift. I could likely ski these any day there is new snow on the ground.

Today it was waist deep in places so they worked out well. Also now understand why Praxis did a GPO in a similar pattern/ rocker.

I had the black and red camo. My brother had the first year when they changed them a couple years ago. I never mounted mine and sold them based off of skiing my brothers. There was just something off with those skis(for my style anyway). I don't know if it was overall too soft, if the tail was to soft or the rocker just came to far back, just didn't feel right. The black and red ones were stiffer and the rocker profile was better, IMO.
Truth be told, it was a dark day when I sold my Protests. Something just had to go, and since I already had to 2 other skis in the over 130mm underfoot category it was bye bye Protest.
The PB's on the other hand were a revelation. So smooth, buttery as fuck. Then I got them in variable conditions and mine eyes were open. Then I got them out in corn and slush and mine eyes were opened even further. I also find they carve on hardpack just fine.
So, in short, I found PB more versatile than Protest. There is a reason why Down skis made the CD5 their "variable snow" ski, it's basically the same ski in a much smaller dimension.
That enough insight for ya, friendo?

Thought I'd chime in... Just skied a pair of the old Protests I picked up in the off season for the first time last night at freaking Snoqualmie Summit West and it may have been one of best times I've ever had in my life. Granted, there was about 30-40 inches of fresh but I've never had so much float and control before. Gliding along the top of the snow felt damn near frictionless with zero hooking or tip dive. When going through the chop it felt very controlled and stable. They were even tons of fun on the soft groomers. Gonna ski these things until they explode and then get a new pair.

Thought I'd chime in... Just skied a pair of the old Protests I picked up in the off season for the first time last night at freaking Snoqualmie Summit West and it may have been one of best times I've ever had in my life. Granted, there was about 30-40 inches of fresh but I've never had so much float and control before. Gliding along the top of the snow felt damn near frictionless with zero hooking or tip dive. When going through the chop it felt very controlled and stable. They were even tons of fun on the soft groomers. Gonna ski these things until they explode and then get a new pair.

Freaky, ay?

Lucky man!
It sounds like the old Protests are a bit New Protest/Powder Boards hybrid, with longer tip and tail rocker and less side cut than the new ones. I'd snap up a pair in a heart beat, but it'd be hard to do from NZ.

so much float and control.... Gliding along the top of the snow felt damn near frictionless with zero hooking .

Bout sums it up for me as well.

But I'm not a good enough skier to make them a good ski in "versatile" conditions. Too much width on hard snow or well chopped for my physical form and technique.

Wish the Wootest came in a 181... But I reckon the tour-weight rockererered GPO will meet that need of mine. It is a glaring gap in my quiver. I got Down 6's in hope, but they are a bit narrow underfoot and in the tip and so ski knee deep powder... not quite as joyfully as other skis.